The Witkoff Doctrine

From a late-night ham and Swiss sandwich to negotiating with Putin and Hamas, Steve Witkoff has become the most unlikely — and dangerous — diplomat in Trump's arsenal.

Steve Witkoff is by far the most important diplomat on earth right now. But he is not a diplomat at all. He's a real estate mogul who's become the key player in shaping Trump's foreign policy. Far more than the Secretary of State or anyone else. It sounds wild, but it's happening.

Working as a property developer in New York in the Eighties—a decade so synonymous with crime it earned the nickname Fear City—Steve Witkoff didn't take any chances. Driving around the dicier neighborhoods of Harlem in his old Buick, searching for distressed properties to "flip," he carried a handgun and a copy of the book Tough Jews with him.

When Donald Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts last May, one person in his courtroom entourage wasn't one of his lawyers, aides, or family members: Steve Witkoff. This speaks volumes about their relationship.

Witkoff's rise to diplomatic prominence is unconventional, to say the least. He doesn't have the years of experience in international relations that you'd expect. He has a knack for deal-making, a vast network of personal connections, and, most importantly, the ear of the President. As one White House official told CNN, "Outside of family, there is no one as trusted by DJT as Steve." This gives him unusual access and influence, allowing him to operate outside traditional diplomatic channels.

The Witkoff Method: Friendship Diplomacy

So, what's Witkoff's secret sauce? It boils down to what I'd call "friendship diplomacy." He prioritizes personal relationships and trust-building over formal protocols and confrontational tactics. It's more like how business deals get done, and less like traditional diplomacy.

Those who have known Witkoff for decades describe his relationship with Trump as friendly rivalry, both being "alpha males" who had a quiet respect for the way the other "got shit done". This abiding admiration pushed Trump to invite Witkoff to join his team as Middle East envoy, responsible for brokering a deal to end the world's most intractable conflict. The appointment deepened the sense that the Republican ultimately views complicated geopolitics through a property developer's lens.